slugged my mosin for reloading

[knucklehead0202]

i usually start toward the center or closer to max loads when using data. especially with lee's data they tend toward being VERY cautious so i start more toward max and watch carefully. even the lee data for 7.62x54r is very impressive. ballistics are just about dead-on with 30-06. some cartridges more than others respond well to magnum primers, also dependent on powder selection but find a baseline, try it out and see how it shoots/groups/etc. and have a good time because mosins are awesome. i'm building a sporter just to see if i can get it reasonably accurate with surplus, then handload for it.

[arslin]

Ok so I slugged her again, and had more expected results.

The reading was .3105. If I breathed on it would click over to .3110.

The surplus that I have fired out of her up to this is .3105... now to see if I can track down this Hornady 3131.

I would like to give a general thanks everyone, and special thanks to Flyin Brian for the expander link.

[arslin]

If you are planning to buy the Lee dies to load 7.62X54r, I would suggest getting this expander at the same time:

https://fsreloading.com/lee-ez-x-exp-303-b-se2358.html

As you noted, the die set includes the .308 expander, so by buying the .311 expander you have it all covered so you can try .308 bullets and switch to .311 when needed.

The expander sizes are actually .001" under what they say on the package, so that gives you .001" neck tension to hold the bullet in the neck. I have 3 FL resizing dies - each with a different sized expander so I can load .308, .310 and .311 bullets. I color coded the dies so I know by sight which one is in the press. To get the .309 (for .310 bullets) I turned down a .311 expander in my lathe with some sandpaper and polished with fine crocus cloth.h

H4895 and Varget work great for 7.62X54r, BTW.

Hello. Just got back from the gun show, and I have everything I think I need. I am trying to make a dummy round, and the neck of the, brass does not seam to be big enough... I used the expander that you listed, but it is not working with the .3105 diamiter 3131s I have.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Update: the problem looks to be with how I'm trying to seat the bullet. Since it was just a blank and I have already screwed the brass beyond what I would ever want to use; I pulled out a hammer, and hammered in the bullet without the casing flooding like it had been.

[Mustang]

Lastly: Any cocktails that people would recommend?

I've only reloaded for my Finn Mosins (mainly M39's and 91/30's) and have had excellent luck with the Hornady .3105's mentioned above.

44.5 grains of IMR 4064, Hornady .3105 gr 174 FMJBT, @ 100 yards. The high and low shots were fired during my sight setting. Last 4 were after I had established a good point of aim.



About 1 MOA with iron sights

http://www.grafs.com/retail/catalog/product/productId/6290

[Vlad 11]

I pulled out a hammer, and hammered

So long as you used the correct expander, that bullet should seat with no problems. No hammering needed.

Is this the Lee die and you swapped out the expander it came with?

What is the inside dia measure of the case mouth after sizing? Did you chamfer the case?

[Flyin Brian]

I agree with Vlad, he asked the same questions I would have asked.

OP, there really is something odd here... if you are using Hornady 3131 bullets, they are boat tail type, so you shouldn't have any problem seating them. The only time I've ever had a problem is with Lapua .311 flat base bullets where you have to chamfer the case mouth quite a bit to keep from crushing the case.

What do you mean by saying "the casing flooding"? Is that a typo?

[glassparman]

I just pulled down 600 rounds of Finn 7.62x54r ammo and it was all .308

It was my understanding that all the Finish Mosins were .308 but I may have been mis-informed.

[arslin]

Folded... Sorry iPad. I will look into this more tonight.

[Flyin Brian]

I just pulled down 600 rounds of Finn 7.62x54r ammo and it was all .308

It was my understanding that all the Finish Mosins were .308 but I may have been mis-informed.

Where did you find 600 rounds of Finn ammo? What was the headstamp and how was it packaged? I've got some Finnish made ammo that is stamped VPT but I can't recall what size bullet it is, and the only way I have seen it sold was in small quantities of cardboard packs.

AIM surplus was selling ammo from 1946/47 that was on stripper clips, packed in cardboard boxes and sealed in sheet metal cases. The visible portion of the bullet was .308 but when you measured the back half that was in the neck of the case it was .310+ so I was disappointed. My whole reason for buying it was to shoot it in a Finnish 28-30 which has a .308 bore.

It's a common mistake that all Finns have .308 bores, there are SOME that do, but the majority are .310+. It is generally accepted that only the 28-30 and the 1926-27 Tikka M-91s with a "C" marked chamber had a .308 bore.

[Cowboy T]

Ok so I slugged her again, and had more expected results.

The reading was .3105. If I breathed on it would click over to .3110.

The surplus that I have fired out of her up to this is .3105... now to see if I can track down this Hornady 3131.

That sounds a bit more like it for a Russian Mosin. Mine slugs at 0.3090" as measured by a micrometer, but I got lucky.

Hello. Just got back from the gun show, and I have everything I think I need. I am trying to make a dummy round, and the neck of the, brass does not seam to be big enough... I used the expander that you listed, but it is not working with the .3105 diamiter 3131s I have.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Update: the problem looks to be with how I'm trying to seat the bullet. Since it was just a blank and I have already screwed the brass beyond what I would ever want to use; I pulled out a hammer, and hammered in the bullet without the casing flooding like it had been.

Try the expander plug for .303 British, which is 0.312". You might need to polish it down maybe a thousandth or two, or Lee Precision can make one for you that does 0.3100", since your Mosin slugs at 0.3105" to 0.3110". It's not that expensive to have 'em do that.

[glassparman]

Where did you find 600 rounds of Finn ammo? What was the headstamp and how was it packaged? I've got some Finnish made ammo that is stamped VPT but I can't recall what size bullet it is, and the only way I have seen it sold was in small quantities of cardboard packs.

AIM surplus was selling ammo from 1946/47 that was on stripper clips, packed in cardboard boxes and sealed in sheet metal cases. The visible portion of the bullet was .308 but when you measured the back half that was in the neck of the case it was .310+ so I was disappointed. My whole reason for buying it was to shoot it in a Finnish 28-30 which has a .308 bore.

It's a common mistake that all Finns have .308 bores, there are SOME that do, but the majority are .310+. It is generally accepted that only the 28-30 and the 1926-27 Tikka M-91s with a "C" marked chamber had a .308 bore.

The Finn ammo came from a friend who is a big ammo collector. He had tubs of it that was imported . . . I think by Interarms. I pulled it all down and checked it carefully because I wanted to use the projectiles in some .30-06. It is VPT from 1930 to around 1944 - all with cupronickel bullets that measured .308 - maybe Interarms fiddled with it????

[arslin]

That sounds a bit more like it for a Russian Mosin. Mine slugs at 0.3090" as measured by a micrometer, but I got lucky.



Try the expander plug for .303 British, which is 0.312". You might need to polish it down maybe a thousandth or two, or Lee Precision can make one for you that does 0.3100", since your Mosin slugs at 0.3105" to 0.3110". It's not that expensive to have 'em do that.

https://fsreloading.com/lee-ez-x-exp-303-b-se2358.html

I am using the expander for the 303... I'm think that I might have just screwed the neck up with that case when I was setting up the dies, and placed a crimp prematurely.

I am going to try again tonight.

[arslin]

Ok I figured it out. I did not back out the seating die a half turn. thus it was crimping befor the bullet was seated. Now the question is this (maybe it should be in the reloading section):

a) how deep should I seat the bullet? I am well under the MOL with the bullet crimp still exposed.

b) how much should I use the factory crimp die?

edit for full to half turn.

[arslin]

not too many answers at once.

[Mustang]

Ok I figured it out. I did not back out the seating die a half turn. thus it was crimping befor the bullet was seated. Now the question is this (maybe it should be in the reloading section):

a) how deep should I seat the bullet? I am well under the MOL with the bullet crimp still exposed.

b) how much should I use the factory crimp die?

edit for full to half turn.

a) Seat the bullet to the overall length specified for the bullet you are using. You mentioned that you are using the Hornady .3105 bullet. The Hornady manual calls for an overall length of 2.855 and that is the cartridge length that I use. That should put you at or near the cannelure. If not, check your brass length.

b) you do not have to crimp the case at all if you don't want to.